Children's home run by Continuum Support - Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 1 Registered provider: Continuum Support - Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for one child with social and/or emotional difficulties. This is the home’s first inspection since opening in July 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2021. He is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home. The child is making good progress from their starting point.

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improvement to be good

The home is welcoming and inviting. For instance, the child’s bedroom is clean and personalised. However, staff do not always ensure that other aspects of the home are welcoming and safe. For example, electrical cables in the child’s bedroom are a potential ligature risk, and maintenance work is not completed in a timely manner.

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improvement to be good

When the child raised issues about care practice this was not responded to in an appropriate manner. For example, when the child told staff that she was not happy with the expectation to attend house meetings each week, she was not provided with feedback. Furthermore, the frequency of the meeting remained the same. This lack of a suitable response does not help the child to understand why and how decisions are made or give them the sense that their views and wishes are valued and taken seriously.

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improvement to be good

Children’s records are not regularly reviewed and updated. For example, documents tracking incidents and the child’s progress do not contain all relevant information. This means that the registered manager is not able to have oversight when incidents of behaviour management occur, to support the child and staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to maintain a healthy lifestyle and improve their well-being. Support is provided to encourage attendance at all routine and specialist medical health appointments. As a result, the child’s physical well-being is promoted well.

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improvement to be good

Staff support and encourage the child to maintain important relationships with family members. They communicate well with social workers to review the arrangements for the child to spend time with their family. Staff show a good understanding of the importance of the child spending meaningful time with their birth family.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to attend school and engage in learning. Staff liaise with education placements and social workers to ensure that the impact of any absences from school on the child’s learning and development is minimal. As a result, the child’s school attendance and learning have improved.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff write detailed risk assessments that give clear guidance and advice for staff to follow to reduce risk. However, these records are Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 4 not always kept up to date. This means that staff do not have the most up-to-date control measures to help to reduce risk further.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always have a good understanding of de-escalation techniques or when to use them, to help manage challenging behaviours and to keep the child and themselves safe. For example, staff are reluctant to use physical intervention when there are serious concerns or when the child is unable to regulate their emotions. As a result, this has led to situations escalating and staff being assaulted.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not provide the child with enough support to keep themselves consistently safe. There is a lack of effective direct work with the child for them to understand the risks that they may face in the local community. As a result, the child is not developing the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from damaging or harmful behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Some good work has been carried out with the child to help them to understand when their behaviour is unacceptable, such as how to use appropriate language when communicating. However, this is not consistently applied. For example, staff do not carry out further work with the child about the use of offensive language. This inconsistency in staff practice means that the child is confused about boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The child told the inspector that they feel safe and could identify a trusted adult. They said that they have positive relationships with some staff.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of staff is safe. The registered manager has ensured the necessary checks on staff are completed. This means that staff working in the home are suitable to work with children.

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good

The registered manager has not yet developed a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Inconsistent leadership and ineffective monitoring and oversight mean that the registered manager does not always identify and act on shortfalls to improve the child’s safety, progress and experience. This restricts the capacity of the home to improve.

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good

Staff do not always provide appropriate and consistent boundaries in relation to the child’s behaviour. For example, some staff allow the child to use offensive and unacceptable language without it being challenged, which is contrary to the plans to keep the child safe. This inconsistent approach does not provide the child with support and the necessary learning to develop.

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good

The registered manager does not always use his monitoring and review systems effectively to help with his oversight of the home. For example, the registered manager was not aware of information missing from the home’s fire risk Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 5 assessment. This demonstrates a lack of vigilance around health and safety in the home.

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good

Staff do not always have the necessary skills and knowledge to support the child well to meet all their needs. For example, not all staff have received training in understanding ligature awareness, the Prevent duty, missing from care, internet safety and child sexual exploitation. These skills are important to meet the needs of the child in the home. As a result, there are gaps in staff knowledge and skills in how to keep the chid safe.

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good

The registered manager has provided the quality of care report to Ofsted within the required timescale. However, this report does not contain important feedback from the child and professionals. This leaves the regulator without the full information needed to review the manager’s own assessment of the quality of care.

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good

Staff told the inspector that they have regular practice-related supervision and team meetings. However, staff do not feel inspired and development opportunities are limited. For example, the registered manager does not make good use of staff experience, skills and knowledge in the development of home and care of the child. For example, staff are not allowed to attend children’s statutory meetings. In addition, staff cannot liaise with professionals or send any correspondence without the registered manager’s approval. As a result, staff learning and development is restricted, and this has negatively impacted on staff relationships with the registered manager.

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good

. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager and staff ensuring that they consult with children about meetings in the home. 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 7 sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that they support children to keep safe.

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Requirement Due date

Also, this refers to staff supporting children to explore their emotions and build positive relationships.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff ensuring they understand risk assessments and that these are up to date. 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 8 It also relates to ensuring that all aspects of the home are welcoming.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that staff have a consistent approach to managing children’s behaviours.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff receive refresher mandatory training.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered manager ensuring they use internal monitoring systems more effectively. 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 9 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff ensuring that all children’s records are kept up to date.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review report reflects the feedback and opinions of children and professionals who work with them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64-65, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s fire risk assessment is reviewed and updated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Continuum Support - Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair, 300 St Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2638202 11 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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